Meter tester



April 29 .1924. 1,492,205

H. W. CLARK METER' TESTER Original Filed'Nov. 20, 1918 2 sheeS-sheec 1 April 2.9, 1924.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 fade/Ln. 56m@ ZW/f f H. W. CLARK METER TESTER original Filed Nov. 2o. 1918 Patented pr. 29, 1924.

Limos narran stares .earenroreren HORACE W. CLARK, OF MATTOON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 W. CLARK C0., 0F MAT- TOON, ILLINOIS, A C013.1?OIRA'IIONk 0F ILLINOIS. i

METER TESTER.

Original application illed November 20, 1918, Serial No. 263,270. Divided and' this application filed December 11, 1919. Serial No. 344,193.,

To all whom t may concern."

Be it known that I, HORACE W. CLARK, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mattoon, in the county of Coles and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meter Testers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to testers for fluid meters. rlhis application is a division of Serial No. 263,270 filed by me November 20, 1918.

Une object of the invention is to provide a tester with improved mechanism for making fractional flow tests and which is adapted for different sizes of meters, so that one tester may be used for fractional flow tests of meters of different sizes.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the detailed description. A

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a tester embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a plan of the improved fractional flow valve. Fig.v 3 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a section through one of the sensibility test valves.

The improved' tester comprises an inlet pipe 14 mounted upon a bracket 15 which may be secured to the floor or any suitable base. A. suitable valve 16 is included in the inlet pipe 14 to control the flow of water to the tester. A pressure-gauge 17 is connected to the inlet pipe to indicate the pressure of the fluid therein. A pipe section 18 is slidably mounted in the inner end of the inlet-pipe 14 so that it may be adjusted into and yout of connected relation with the inlet connection of a water-meter A. An adapter 20 ifs-removably securedto a collar 22 fixed on the inner end of pipesection 18. Different sizes of adapters may be secured to pipe 18 by bolts 21 to provide suitable connections with the inlet of meters of different sizes. A collar 23 formed of sections so it can be placed around pipe 14 is slidable on the outside of said pipe and is connectedto the inner end of said pipe by rods 24. A lever 25 pivoted to a lug secured to the floor, as at 26, is adapted to 35 is connected to the column 30an'd the upper end-of thispip'e extends laterally andv thence downwardlyto discharge fluid into a suitabley tank 36 'wherein the fluid may be weighed or'measured. This column and its connections may be quickly and bodily shifted to move the adapter' 34'into or out of position forconnection to the'rneter byA means more fully set forth in said application No. 263,270. The improved tester is designed for making tests of large sized meters, many of which are so heavy and cumbersome that they can be handled with diiiiculty and to provide for handling these meters with facility, a suitable ltruck 48v is providedv on which the meter to be tested is placed, so that the meter can be readily shifted into Iposition for connection to the inlet and outlet connections.

p A- valve is included' in the-discharge pipe35. Thisfvalve comprises a Aplate171 which is `movable across a seat onthe inlet side of the' valve-casing and a lever 72 on the outside of the valve-casing is secured to the stem 73 of the valve, so that the valve plate may be openedto any desired yeXtentl Associated with the lever 72 is an vindicatorplate 74. Apointer 75 is secured to the lever 72 and operated thereby according to the position of the valve 70.' Indicatorplate 74'has a series'of tables'76 thereon for thediiferent sizes of-meters for which the tester is adapted. Each of these 'tables 76 comprisesV a series of fractional indications 77 to rindicate kthe fractional ow'for a meter of the size for which thetable is calculated. As a result of yproviding a valve of this type and this indicator, fractional iiow tests of different sizes of meters may be made with a single valve and this is found to be an important and convenient advantage in meter-testing.

VAY branch-pipe 80 is connected to the d ischarge pipe 35 anda series of needle-point valves 81 of graduated or different sizes are included in lsaid branch. Valves 81 controlv cient yand accurate to employ a series of these needle-point regulation.

needle valves, each permitting a small fixed rate Vof ow, in lieu of a multiple valve, because the flow of fluid cleans the needle point every time a valve is opened and becauserof the accuracy Aof flow controlled by stood that these needle valves permit a flow corresponding to different sizes of openings for which sensibility tests are desired and that any desired number may be provided.

The operation of thev improved tester will be asl follows: When a meter is to be tested, the truck can be wheeled kto a point where the meter is located, where the meter will be placed upon the platform of the truck. The latter will be wheeled into position between the inlet and discharge connections to bring the spuds on the meter into position for alignment with said connections. Next, the adapters 34: and 20 are bolted to the meter, and the parts will be in readiness for testing. By opening valve16 and valve 70, `they flow of fluid may be controlledl through the discharge pipe 35 into tank 36, the discharge being weighed and measured in the tank, as well understood in the art.V By manipulating the lever 7 2 int-oi different positions, fractional liow tests may` be made,fdifferent fractional flows for different sizes of meters being shown by the pointer 75 on the tables 76.y F or example, if a three-inch meter is being tested, the fractional flow permitted bythe valve 70 will be indicated on the arcuate table 76 of indications 77 associated with meter size 3. All of the needle valves 81 will be normally closed. To make sensibility tests, valve 70 will be closed and then these valves 81 are successively Aopened to permit a small liow of known volume to pass through the needle-V valve. The result of the tests may be ascer' tained by measuring or weighing the fluid which has passed to the tank 36.

In practice, it has been found, particularly when making a sensibility test which extends over a long period of time, that the operator, in attempting to do other work,

It will be under will not be present at the proper time to close and note the record, and for the purpose of signaling the operator that the close of the test is approaching, an automatic signaling device is provided. VThis consistsof an electric bellr 90 or other suitable signal conveniently located which is operated by an `electric circuit, including conductors 91 and 92, a battery 93. and a switch comprising a stationary contact 94 and a movable contact 95. The movable contact is adapted to be operated to close the circuit by a float 96 which .is disposed in the tank 36 and secured to a'rod 97 which is guided vertically. ina bracket 98. Rod 97 extends up-` wardly above the tank and has aV downwardly extending member '99 which is ad justably secured in a pipe or sleeve 100 which is guided vertically in lugs 101 and 102 and to the lower end of whichthe switch 95 is secured. A stop 103v normally rests on lug 102 to support the float and its oper# ating connections in desired position, so that the float will be lifted bythe rising water -inthetank as the close of the testl isl approaching. A thumb-screw 104 in the sleeve 100 is adapted to secure the member= 99 and the sleeve together, so that the lfloat 96 will be positioned at the desired elevation according to the test being made. In operation, the float 96 will be set so that it will be operated a short ,time before the water in the tank 36 rises to the point when the testwill be concluded, and as aresult, the float will, prior tc thek closing vof the test, lift the rod 97 and sleeve 100 and the switch 95 will l close the circuit for the 'signalling devicey 90, so that the operator will have time to come to the tester before the closeV of the test.

The invention thus exemplifies an improved meter tester which includes a single valve whereby fractional ow tests maybe made with meters of diiferent sizes.

The invention is not to be understoodas restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claim, without departing from'the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

Having thus described the invention, i

what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: y

A meter tester which is provided with a measuring Valve, a pointer attached thereto,

andl fractional indicating tables adapted tov co-operate with said pointer and display the fractional flow which was taking place from the meter under testing.

HORACE w. CLARK. 

